Friday, December 18, 2009

17 Dec 09

...what - no tramp stamps tonight... ~ EchoSon

Hey, blogspot readers, the halls were decked at the famous Double Door ...and the Thursday night crowd was enjoying cups of holiday cheer as well as rockin' around the Christmas tree. It was a night of Who's Who of the local scene attending tonight's show. Chicago Noise Machine members Brian Bender and Chris Shen as well as Lucid Ground, 72 Hours, and A Friend Called Fire, Makeshift Prodigy, 6 Degrees of Separation, and Inn Cinema came out to lend support to the linuep performing. Everyone was pumped to see EchoSon headlining along with Made Avail, Arma and Along The Parallel rockin' the stage.

Along The Parallel kicked off the lineup with a rockin' sound that had the entire venue vibin' to the hardcore rhythm. This set was merely a taste of what fans could expect to hear from them at the Cubby Bear Friday night when they they open for Taproot. This CNM band brought their A-game to the stage full of intense guitar riffs which fans banged their heads to . This was not your regular guitar rock sound pounding the ears. No - it was the type of rock music that grips you by the balls. Ballbusting sound and vocal angst was being pumped into the venue. ATP impressed the audience with wicked guitar instrumentals as well as huge song finishes that left them wanting more. And though the intense sound was dropped for a moment for a ballad, All You Need, the momentum still remained from the beginning. SouthSide highly suggests listening to Atrophy and Balance. Whew! Feel that intense guitar sound ripping your eardrums ...hear the vocals dominate the lyrics - ATP's performance tonight was spectacular. This reviewer sees brighter things happening for this band in 2010. For more information, visit Along The Parallel at www.atpband.com or www.myspace.com/alongtheparallel.

Last month, Arma had one fantastic psychedelic performance at SubT (Subterranean) and SouthSide was ready for more. Yet, the guys had a little Christmas surprise for this reviewer. It wasn't all psychedelic sound tonight, blogspot readers. This set contained some rather intensified guitar rhythms especially during the instrumentals. Fans will immediately notice that with Arma's unique sound songs have a personality of its own. So don't expect to hear the same riff or chords twice in the next song. You too will want to dance to the tribal beat with Taylor (Arma's energetic lord of the dance) while feeling each intense rhythm performed. The fun, however, isn't contained just to the stage either. Sometimes there were moments when Arma's music can start sporadic moshing and wild fan dancing amongst the audience. Still watch out for those sudden (and sometimes hidden) chord changes which will leave you wanting more. SouthSide highly suggests rockin' to their new song, Hypnic Jerk. This song had subtle tempos and waves of crescendoing riffs that paused for a dramatic crash of explosive sound at the middle. And the highlight of the night was their cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song with an Arma twist. They truly released their inner rock demons during Carrier and Metropolis. This reviewer highly suggests catching this band in 2010 at a venue near you. For more information, visit Arma at www.armamusic.com or www.myspace.com/armamusic.

Made Avail was one of the few bands SouthSide has tried to review all year but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts. Well, not tonight. She finally had the chance at the Double Door. Though having more of a pop/alternative sound than the others before them, this reviewer was shocked to hear some unexpected screamin' angst from them in a couple of songs. It would be no use to group this band into a single genre when they incorporate a solid mix within their music. Yet, SouthSide had a distinct feeling that something was terribly wrong with Made Avail's performance. One noticeable thing was the high falsetto vocals during one song was done too quietly to be heard where this reviewer was standing. The audience was another factor hindering a favorable response for this local band. At times they (the audience) seemed non-exsistent and quite unresponsive. Other times, the response was lukewarm and at one point, cold ...not a sound of anyone clapping. Dead silence from an audience can kill any band's performance causing them to end it rather quickly like Made Avail. SouthSide didn't know they were finished with their set until the stage lights were turned on. She's not saying they didn't have a good performance however she's saying it was more geared for the younger crowd set than the adult rockers. This reviewer does suggest checking out this band for its energetic variety of the pop/alternative sound. For more information, visit Made Avail at www.madeavail.com or www.myspace.com/madeavail.

Closing out tonight's lineup was another proud CNM member, EchoSon. This rockin' band literally pumped life back into the Double Door with its hardcore guitar sound. Yes, blogspot readers, they once again rocked out the venue especially during Black For Gold. SouthSide found it difficult to rock and write at the same time with this band - the music was too good not to busy herself with notes. However, fans should check out Echo's song, Gone Again, if you want to hear angst behind the soft guitar rhythms. Check out the ballad, Song For You however during Wash You Away, Echo really turned up the guitar sound blasting away eardrums. SouthSide enjoyed the new song, Floyd Jam, for its subtle experimental sound off the bass. And judging by the audience response, this song's about to be another rockin' hit for this band. This reviewer hightly suggests checking out this band in 2010. For more information, visit EchoSon at www.echosonband.com or www.myspace.com/echosonband.

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About Me

Who is SouthSide?
Well, she's Chicago's only partyin' local scene queen who covers (mostly) everything that's rockin' a venue, fest, art show and more for over a decade. And was at one time photographed as one of Chicago's Very Own (WGN-TV's ad campaign).
She enjoys hanging out with bands from around town as well as nationally and internationally ...plus has interviewed many famous rock icons like Don Brewer, Rudy Sarzo, V Is For Villains, Nate Z, Valerie Pettiford, Emilio Castillo and more.
She has met and reviewed bands like The Parlotones (from South Africa), Lenhen (from Austria), Chateau Marmont (from France), 30 Seconds to Mars, Tower of Power, Lucid Ground, Grand Funk Railroad, The Polkaholics and many, many more.
She hopes you enjoy reading about her adventures in this blog as much as she has experienced them.